Limitations: The battery life is disappointing — definitely don't leave home without a charger. Plus, the device is expensive, especially for a single-core smartphone.

Bottom Line: The Droid Charge might not be the best specced phone on the market, but paired with Verizon's 4G LTE network, it has some of the best data speeds we've seen. This is another contender in a growing cadre of great Android handsets.

A Closer Look at the Droid Charge by Samsung

The Droid Charge is Verizon's second 4G LTE handset, following the similarly specced HTC Thunderbolt. The phone ships with Android 2.2 Froyo and includes Adobe Flash Player 10.3.

It features a 1GHz processor, 32GB of storage space (microSD) and a 4.3" AMOLED Plus display. The rear camera is 8 megapixels and records video in 720p, and the front camera is 1.3 megapixels. The phone is thin and weighs about five ounces.

As more dual-core smartphones start to enter the market, we can't help but wish the Droid Charge took advantage of those faster chipsets, a la the Galaxy S II. Still, even running Froyo and at 1GHz, the Droid Charge was speedy and responsive in our tests.

Samsung TouchWiz UI isn't going to be for everyone, but we didn't mind the alterations it made to the stock Android interface. The Samsung widgets didn't do much for us, but a few of the Verizon-specific widgets, including a bandwidth monitor, were quite handy.

When it comes to the Droid Charge, the real story is about the network. We tested the device all over New York City and were impressed to find we had access to 4G LTE speeds more often than not. 4G LTE trounces everyone else in the bandwidth game, and in our speed tests, we frequently got speeds that exceeded not only our office broadband Internet, but even our home connections.

The speed is so good, our only fear was exceeding bandwidth limitations on the device. Our test plan included unlimited data but we blew through 3GB of bandwidth in just a few days of hardcore testing. When the speeds are that fast — consistently in the 15 Mbps range — it's easy to use a lot of data.

The Droid Charge comes with a built-in hotspot feature that lets users share the 4G LTE data connection with up to 10 other devices. Users can set-up a USB, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection. The hotspot setup process was a snap and we were quickly able to share data with our laptop, iPad and other devices. Tethering with a cell phone is often a subpar Internet experience, but Verizon's network was so fast, it was no different than using any other Wi-Fi connection.

Of course, the price of all that speed is in battery life. The Droid Charge consistently died on us around the 6 hour mark, and even when in standby mode, the device just eats battery power. My year-old iPhone 4 (which needs a new battery) consistently outlasted the Droid Charge, even when the Charge wasn't in use and the iPhone was.

The camera — both video and still — aren't anything spectacular, but it does take serviceable photos and video.

At the end of the day, the Droid Charge isn't really about the phone specs or features, it's about the network and the data speeds. On that front, the phone bests the competition. If you're looking for a phone that can double as a 4G LTE MiFi, look no further.

Samsung's Droid Charge Delivers on the Promise of 4G LTE

Homescreens

The Droid Charge uses Samsung's TouchWiz UI. While we're partial to stock Android, we don't have a problem with the Samsung interface at all. It's clean and easy to navigate.

LTE vs. Wi-Fi

On the left, a speed test using our cable Internet connection. On the right, Verizon's 4G LTE network.

As you can see, LTE absolutely trounces Cablevision's 30Mbps Internet package. This particular speed test was an anomaly; we rarely saw speeds this fast, but it shows the power of the network.

LTE Speed Test History

This screenshot shows a history of various speed tests we took at different points in time. With one exception, the LTE speed tests always exceeded 10Mbps.

In comparison, 3G speeds using the same Verizon network never got above 2Mbps.

Camera Test

The 8 megapixel rear camera on the device is serviceable, if not overly impressive.

The Samsung software allows for extended options like scene modes and white balance settings, but every shot we took had an aquamarine hue.

Droid Charge Front

The Droid Charge at an angle. The 4.3" AMOLED Plus screen is a joy to use indoors and out.

Droid Charge Rear

The back of the device is non-descript. The placement of the camera is dead-center, so watch your fingers when taking photos or video.

Series Supported by Energizer®

The Gadget of the Day Series is supported by the Energizer® Inductive Charger, which brings you the next generation of charging with Qi technology. Qi is the new universal standard for wireless charging. Energizer® has always been designed with performance and responsibility in mind ... now that’s positivenergy™.

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